Georgia's former president handed further four years in jail

A tribunal successful Georgia has handed a further situation condemnation to the jailed erstwhile president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Saakashvili was sentenced connected Monday to four-and-a-half years down bars for illegally crossing the borderline erstwhile returning to the state from exile successful 2021, his lawyer said.

He is already serving concurrent presumption for embezzlement and maltreatment of powerfulness portion successful office, bringing his full condemnation to much than 12 years.

Saakashvili has ever denied wrongdoing and called his latest condemnation "illegal" and "unjust". Rights groups accidental his imprisonment is politically motivated.

Saakashvili opposes the governing Georgian Dream party, which favours person ties with Russia. As president, helium sought to forge person relations with Western governments.

In a video posted connected X connected Monday from the infirmary wherever helium is being held, Saakashvili said: "No substance what, I volition combat to the end."

The erstwhile president was sentenced past week to 9 years down bars for embezzlement, moving alongside the jailhouse word helium had already been serving. In 2018, helium was tried successful absentia and sentenced successful 2 abstracted trials.

Saakashvili was arrested successful 2021 aft making a astonishment instrumentality to Georgia up of the country's section elections by smuggling himself into the state connected a ferry from Ukraine.

He called for wide anti-government demonstrations, but was rapidly arrested by Georgian authorities.

The 57-year-old had led Georgia implicit 2 presumption betwixt 2004 and 2013. Since leaving the country, helium had for the astir portion lived successful Ukraine.

He was granted Ukrainian citizenship successful 2015, renouncing his Georgian citizenship erstwhile helium became politician of Ukraine's Odesa region.

His citizenship was revoked successful 2017 earlier being restored again by President Volodymyr Zelensky successful 2019.

"This [sentence] is fundamentally sending a message... to President Zelensky, for them to scare him to amusement what happens erstwhile you don't surrender your country... I did not surrender Georgia," Saakashvili said successful his video code portion wearing a achromatic garment with the words "I'm Ukrainian" emblazoned connected it.

Zelensky, who appointed Saakashvili to oversee reforms successful Ukraine, has demanded his transportation to Kyiv.

He has antecedently accused Russia of "killing" Saakashvili "at the hands of the Georgian authorities".

The European Union has repeatedly called for Saakashvili's contiguous merchandise from prison, expressing interest implicit his deteriorating health.

The Council of Europe rights watchdog has branded him a "political prisoner," portion Amnesty International has called his attraction an "apparent governmental revenge".